1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for distributing channel port loading functionality in a radio base station of a cellular telecommunications system, and more particularly for distributing channel port loading functionality over a plurality of transceivers in a cellular radio base station.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, base stations in cellular telecommunications systems include several transceivers. Each of these transceivers has at least one channel port which is capable of transmitting and receiving one of different kinds of communications. Typically, each of these different kinds of communications have different loading averages. These different kinds of communications distributed over the channel ports create an uneven usage of the channel ports. Such a distribution creates an overworking of some of the channel ports with premature failure of the corresponding transceivers, and underworking of the others.
To overcome this problem, it has sometimes been a practice to manually interchange the channel ports and to manually readjust the combiner to which the transceivers are connected. However, this operation requires sending out a technician to the radio base station site, which is not always practical and which is expensive in remote areas. Also, since the operation is performed manually, several minutes are necessary to interchange channel ports and re-adjust the combiner during which time the radio base station has to be shut down. Accordingly, it is not always possible, nor desirable, to stop an essential radio link for a few minutes to effect this change. Further, since a technician is required, the operation cannot be efficiently performed on a regularly scheduled (i.e. daily or weekly) basis.
There are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming. Therefore, it would be a distinct advantage to have a method and a system capable of automatically distributing the channel port loading functionality over a plurality of transceivers, which could be effected with minimal disruption of the operation of the radio base station.